Another Simple Way to End the Patent Threat: Monetary Punishment and Rewards

"This isn't a problem for the big guys with the big fat
bankrolls, but it's bad for the little guy. For those too lazy to
look at the link, the list essentially creates a picture of how
badly you get nickeled and dimed to death every time you file a
patent.

"Interestingly enough, this can be used to the advantage of FOSS
and Linux lovers the world over. It's also one of the biggest
reasons why the current patent system won't change anytime soon.
The USPTO may seem like an organization that's here to help
commerce, but in reality, it's there to help the government get
richer. If you look at how many patent applications are filed every
year, then compute the billions collected in fees by the USPTO, you
quickly get a picture of why the system is so bad and getting worse
as time goes on."